


Roses of Red and White

by satanic_panic



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Gen, The Great Gatsby References, gender neutral reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-18 20:04:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21282497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satanic_panic/pseuds/satanic_panic
Summary: You’ve always had a funny feeling around white and red roses, but is there a reason as to why?
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Reader
Kudos: 6





	Roses of Red and White

You always felt as if something was missing, some kind of void had formed in your chest a long time ago, so long ago, that you didn’t know what it felt like without it - it kept you up at night, it made you question the people and the reality around you; the only solace you ever really got from it was going to the woods with your dog, a big black mutt with two white paws and a white patch on his chest, a greying muzzle, hickory eyes that you had named Shadow. You always walked with him for an hour or two a day, always through the woods, whether in rain or sunshine or snow or hail, it was a habit, an addiction in a way, as it was the only thing that kept your mind off of the void in your chest that tended to take over throughout the rest of the day; you had been to multiple therapists and doctors to try to find out why it always felt the void in your chest, but none of them could help, none of them could give you a concrete answer. Not really. So, you decided to do the only thing that logically made any sense: live with it, and suffer it. 

It was a cold and wet November morning, rain crashing and chucking down, harsh and heavy, so loud as it hit the conservatory roof that it sounded more like thunder; you donned a pair of worn and old blue jeans, red Vans that definitely looked like they had been put to good use, fraying fingerless gloves, a ratty old band t-shirt, a fairly smart plaid shirt, a leather jacket, and a beanie, before grabbing the red dog lead you kept on the bedroom door. Ever faithful, Shadow was waiting at the top of the stairs for you with a wagging tail, tongue hanging half out of his mouth. You shook your head, clipping the lead to his collar and untangling your earphones from your shirt; you went with the same song you always started your walks with, ‘Roses’ by Kaiser Chiefs. For some reason, the song always caused this… ache, not in your chest, but in your heart, as if yearning for something that you couldn’t remember, something that came before the gap in your chest. 

Walking through the woods with your loyal hound, you took in the sight of it all; the leaves on the trees had become dark orange and red, except for the few evergreens, and had already started falling here and there, coating the ground in a warm coloured blanket. The sun was peeking through curtains drawn by the tallest and thickest of trees, nervous to set its gaze upon the world for fear of being cast away; moss and ivy was growing thicker than ever on fallen branches, up the trunks of the trees, some trees were already stripped bare with the exceptions of the twiggy nests made by local birds that called them home, no proudly orange and yellow and red leaves to show off like trophies. Beneath the blanket of squishy and squelching leaves, laid a layer of thick, sticky mud that dampened the ends of your jeans and your shoes, it was so dark in colour that it almost looked like a midnight sky on an incredibly cloudy day. Bushes made up of grabbing brambles and stinging nettles guided the way, leading you to a clearing - you smiled a little when you got there, the fresh scent of wet foliage filling your nostrils as you unclipped Shadow’s lead and let him run around whilst you went over to the one spot you always gravitated towards. 

Stood tall and proud, a collection of wild roses of red and white were proud and somehow unwilted; the early sun smiling upon them; you were never quite sure why, but the roses always reminded you of something you could never quite plant your fingers on. They were so beautiful, so entrancing, shades varying from crimson to burgundy, snowy to silvery, and everything in between. Every single rose was stunning and breathtaking, and made a wave of some unidentifiable feeling wash over your heart, making the hollowness in your chest dull and pulsate with warmth. As if to bleed the colours together, there were a few pink roses between the red and white ones, leaning more toward red and white depending on which they were closest to. 

* * *

It was going to be a long day at the office for Eddie, the pile of paperwork on his desk seemed like it weighed a tonne and reached the ceiling, and he knew that that was only the half of it; to make matters worse, one of his colleagues was getting engaged, and their desk was littered with balloons and confetti and God-knew what else. He would not have minded much, if the balloons weren’t such a health and safety nightmare, but even still, he knew he couldn’t say anything to them about it - after all, they were getting engaged, he should have been happy for them. 

Clicking his pen and sighing heavily, Eddie dared to loosen his tie slightly, grabbing the first lot of paperwork he had to fill out - some zoo was opening a couple of new exhibits, and were getting some American alligators and a few sloth bears; he had to pick out the risks, not just towards people but also towards the animals, and try to find a way to either get rid of them, or at least take it from an alligator or bear mauling, to a bruise on the shoulder. It was going to be a long day. He knew next to nothing about either animal, besides the obvious, and he knew next to nothing about how a zoo would go about getting such animals. He hung his head, swallowing thickly and thinking maybe some fresh air was needed - being cooped up in an office was bad enough for his health, but the stale air? Mixed with stress? That was a recipe for disaster. He stayed clear of the smoking area, preferring to go around the back and sit on the little wall, the recently fixed one that had been painted with roses and sunflowers by some local artists; he wrung his hands together, looking at the ground and bouncing his leg a little. He did his best to concentrate on the asphalt, the dark charcoal colour littered with specks of silver from bits and pieces that had come loose from being walked on, but all that played on his mind was how he was going to get through that stack of paperwork; he had been told that it was supposed to be done and finished by the end of the day, but poor Eddie knew he would end up working overtime to get it done - his wife wouldn’t be too happy about that. Then again, she wasn’t ever happy with half of the things he did. Running a hand through his hair, Eddie let out a burdened sigh, looking up and over at the town square. Couples were laughing and exchanging sweet kisses, children were playing in the muddy grass, bound to pick up an array of disease from it, busibodies stormed through on their phones, he recognised a few of them as the people that worked in the office block next to his own, but he wasn’t exactly friendly with any of them; he even saw a few people on their lunch and cigarette breaks, socialising, chatting. He shook his head, knowing he had to go back in and get it all done. The sooner the better, really. 

When he went back in, he walked by his colleague’s desk, and saw that a bouquet of roses had been left for all to see; he smiled a bit, the shades of white and red were somehow vaguely familiar, and caused a wave of something unknown to wash over him. In the hardly decent office lighting, he noticed that there were some pink ones, too, varying in vibrancy depending on whether they were closer to the red or the white roses. The scent of them made his nose itch a little, as if there was something that he couldn’t quite remember linked to the gorgeous and sweet smell, it was also somehow intoxicating; Eddie had to admit, as he looked at the roses, there was something so familiar about the scene, something he couldn’t quite place, a memory so long repressed that it was gone completely, leaving only the scars of the feelings of it. 

Clearing his throat, Eddie took one final glance at the roses, and returned to his office, knowing that that paperwork wasn’t going to fill itself out, but when he sat down and picked up his pen, he found himself unable to focus. There was something about those roses, and the way they made him feel, that made his mind go so fuzzy and blurry, tearing any ability to concentrate away from him; he wondered if it was something from his childhood, something powerful that he had long abandoned, something that had wounded him to the point where the scars were still there. He did his best to push it from his mind. 

He did his best to crack on with the paperwork. 

* * *

“There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea. You became the light on the dark side of me. Love remained a drug that’s the high and not the pill.”

You yelped at your phone blaring out, running a hand down your face as you reached for it, picking up; it was late, so very late, and you had not long been asleep, you were still tired as you grumbled out a greeting. 

“Unless if you’re my drug dealer, I don’t wanna know.” 

“Ignoring that… (Y/N)? It’s Mike,” a voice replied, one that you somehow didn’t know but still recognised at the same time, static crackling a little. “Mike Hanlon, from Derry.” 

“Fuckin’ Derry?” You muttered, still half-asleep. 

“Yeah,” Mike confirmed. “Listen, I know it’s probably late there, but… you need to come home.” 

You grumbled, sitting up. “I am home.” 

“I mean you need to come back to Derry,” he told you. “Early as possible.” 

You let out a yawn, stretching and wincing at the sound of your joints cracking. “Why?” 

There was a pause on Mike’s end. “I’ll explain when you get here. I’m gonna text you a location - do you think you could meet me there?” 

“Yeah, sure.” You agreed. “Can I bring my dog, though? I kinda don’t wanna leave him.” 

Mike paused again, letting out a sigh. “Sure. You can bring your dog.” 

After a bit more chat, you ended the call with Mike, and dragged yourself out of bed; raising his head up and tilting it, ears perked up, Shadow looked at you curiously, tail thumping on his soft beige bed. 

“We’re going on a trip, apparently, boy,” you told him with a tired chuckle. “Do you think I should call up Amy and ask her to look after the house while we’re gone?” 

Shadow shook his head, his tail ceasing to wag. 

You nodded, patting his head as you walked over to your wardrobe. “Yeah, you’re right - I’ll just tell Lisa across the road we’re going away, she’ll keep an eye out.” 

You packed up a week’s worth of clothes in your suitcase, and left it at the bottom of the stairs before going to get changed; it didn’t take you long, and by the time you got Shadow and your suitcase in the car, it had been nearly an hour. Shaking your head, you nipped across the road, and knocked on your neighbour’s door. 

Lisa was an elderly woman, kind and good at heart as any, and reassured you when you started waffling on apologetically about waking her up so late. “There’s no need to apologise, dear, honestly.” 

“I know, Mrs. Myles, but I just feel really bad because it’s so late, and I-”

“What’s wrong?” She asked softly, reaching for your hand and holding it tightly, she was a kind woman, always looking out for everyone in the neighbourhood; her hickory eyes, even in the dim light of her porch, the speckle of reassurance and utter kindness was still utterly visible as she used her free hand to move a strand of curly black hair from her face. “Are you alright?” 

You nodded, offering up a weakly assuring smile. “Kind of… I, uh, I got a call from someone, and it turns out I need to go away for a bit so I was just wondering if you could keep an eye on my house?” 

Lisa’s lips contorted into a slight frown. “Oh, dear… is everything alright? You know, if you want to tell me, you can.” 

“Yeah, no, everything’s fine, really,” you did your best to convince her. You knew you had no choice but to tell a slight white lie. “It’s just a, uh, a family reunion type thing, is all.” 

Letting go of your hand, Lisa pulled you into one of her amazingly soft, tight hugs. “You go have fun, dear, I’ll mind your house - do you want me to leave your post in the kitchen like I did last time?” 

“That would be amazing, thank you.” You murmured, pulling away and offering up a smile. “I really owe you, Mrs. Myles.” 

She shook her head, patting your shoulder. “It’s no worry, like I told you, I’m always here and around for you young ones.” 

* * *

Upon arriving at the location Mike had sent you, you found a decent place to park, and got Shadow out of the car, walking him around the car park so that he could stretch his legs; which was when you saw him. Hair as black as night, dark brown eyes that tended to look black in certain lighting; you couldn’t put a name to the face, but you knew him. You knew that you knew him, and when he drew closer, your mind got less and less out of focus, and it clicked. 

“Eddie Kaspbrak?” 

The man looked at you for a moment, a small smile forming on his lips as he dared to walk over. “(Y/N)?” 

You nodded, smiling brightly and feeling tears prick at the corners of your eyes. “You, uh, you- fuck me, you look amazing.” 

Eddie chuckled softly, nodding a little, but when Shadow went to nudge his hand with his nose, he jumped back. “Woah! Big dog!” 

You reigned your hound in, shrugging. “Eddie, meet Shadow - my best friend of about eleven years.” 

Reluctantly and a bit fearfully, Eddie dared to scratch Shadow behind the ears, resulting in the dog’s tail wagging furiously. “He’s… he’s nice.” 

You smiled, licking your lips, unable to keep your eyes from Eddie. “It’s nice to see you, y’know… I mean, shit, I didn’t remember who you were up until, like, a minute ago, but-” 

“I know,” Eddie agreed, smiling back, so bittersweet. “It’s like there was something missing, right?” 

At his question, you noticed it - the lack of an ache in your heart, the lack of the void in your chest that had rendered it hollow and cavernous for so long; you swallowed thickly, a certain nervousness coming over you. “Y-yeah, I… how did you know?” 

He shrugged, clearing his throat. “I, uh, I had the same feeling, really… it’s like, no matter what I did or what I took or anything, there was always this… dull ache.” 

“Yeah…” you whispered, wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall. “That’s… exactly what it’s like…” 

Eddie looked away for a moment, looking at the restaurant for a second. “I really don’t wanna go in.” 

You took a glance at it. “Looks like shit.” 

The smallest of smiles tugged at the corner of his lips as he dared to steal a glance at you. “You’re not wrong… so, what are you doing these days, anyway? Job-wise and stuff.” 

You sucked in a breath, clicking your tongue. “Y’know, this and that… nothing too great - what about you? I bet you’re, like, I dunno, a doctor or something, right?” 

Eddie shook his head, chuckling softly. “I’m, uh, I’m actually a risk analyst for an insurance firm. Quiet little safe desk job, y’know?” 

You chuckled, wondering why you ever thought any different. “Silly me, thinking that _the_ Edward Kaspbrak would do anything else.” 

He joined in with your laughter for a moment, both of you blissfully unaware that Shadow was circling around you and wrapping your legs with his lead; when the dog tugged, it forced you and Eddie together, your hands going to his chest and his hands on your waist by nothing other than utter instinct. Nervously laughing, Eddie tried to pull away. “I, uh, sorry, I-” 

“No, no, don’t apologise,” you tittered, biting the inside of your lip. “My dog, my fault.” 

“No, that’s not - I,” he huffed out a sigh, relaxing a little. “I’m… shit.” 

You grinned up at him, lifting a hand up to gently cup his cheek. “**You remind me of - a rose, an absolute rose**, Eddie Kaspbrak.” 

The smile faded from his features as he was rendered almost speechless. “Roses…” 

“Roses,” you whispered, smiling. “Always felt weird around ‘em, right? Like they reminded you of something and made you feel all funny and shit.” 

He nodded slowly, swallowing thickly. “Red and white ones, with… with pink in the middle.” 

“Red and white,” you confirmed. “With pink in the middle.” 


End file.
